Firelight
by skysedge
Summary: By firelight, even a murderess can feel beautiful.


_**A/N **__I am a little dazed that I have written something that isn't yaoi. But it's okay, unlike most anime women Madam Red is actually fantastic and so deserves being written about. This came to me during a long bus ride where I was starved for entertainment.. Inspired by the feel of the song 'Ishtar' by Girugämesh. Youtube it, it's beautiful._

_-x- _

Madam Red gazed absently into the fire that burned brightly in her parlour, casting the room in rich shades of orange and red. She vaguely wondered whether she would be able to see any shapes in the dancing flames, and what she would see if she could. Probably nothing beautiful, she decided. Not after the past few weeks. Not with the way her life was now.

The door to the room opened loudly, breaking the atmosphere of peace that had settled over the room like a blanket. Loud, clumsy footsteps entered the room and the door swung shut with a loud crash. Madam Red smiled to herself, still staring into the fire.

"I have returned, Madam," a nervous voice offered from near the door.

"Oh really?" Madam Red answered with a trace of amusement in her tone. "I hadn't noticed. And? What 's the news?"

"Good," the voice replied, sounding calmer now and growing louder as the speaker approached the sofa the woman was lounging on.

"I'm glad," she said dryly. "But I'd like to know more than that, if it isn't too much trouble for you to remember, Grell."

As they crossed the distance between the door and the sofa, the feet ceased crashing into the soft carpet clumsily and became silent, elegant. There was a soft rustle that could have been clothes being discarded or could have been something else entirely. A pale hand curled over the edge of the sofa.

"I'm upset, Madam. I thought you had a higher opinion of me than that." The voice was now radically different from before. The hesitance had vanished entirely and the words were now said confidently, spoken in a deeper tone that flowed as slowly and sweetly as honey. Madam Red smiled but still did not look.

"I didn't realise you cared about my opinion of you."

"Of course I do," Grell whispered, raising one slender finger to stroke a strand of the woman's crimson hair gently. "You know I do."

She smiled to herself and sighed. "How about you tell me what you discovered today first, hm? Unless you really _have_ forgotten."

He clicked his tongue and leant further over the back of the sofa, so that his head was next to hers, one hand still idly stroking her hair.

"No one suspects a thing," he said slowly. "We've been very good at covering our tracks. Not even your little nephew has realised."

"Good," she said still gazing into the flames distantly. "Anything else?"

"We're lucky that a man such as Druitt exists," he answered. "All eyes are turned towards him now. No one will suspect a woman of such monstrous activities, especially a woman so well dressed and fit for society. As for him, his dress sense and flamboyance works to our advantage. He doesn't fit in and so is easy to single out."

She laughed softly. "As if you can talk about flamboyance, Grell."

She felt rather then saw him pouting as he answered. "I'm not like him. I have _style_. He is a fascinating man, though. I'd like to meet him."

"Oh?" Madam Red raised an eyebrow. "Over Sebastian already? How fickle you are."

Grell clicked his tongue again. "You misunderstand me, Madam. He's not my type."

"And here was me thinking that _everyone_ was you're 'type'. I've lost track of the amount of times you've gone starry-eyed over men since we met."

"The word being _men_ there, Madam," he replied gently.

He turned her head gently until she was forced to draw her eyes away from the fire and look at him. Her suspicions were proved correct as she was faced with large green eyes framed by fiery hair, rather than her mild mannered butler. She was glad – it was unnerving when Grell acted like himself while still disguised. She much preferred moments like this, when they were alone and only the shadows in the room were witness to their secrets.

"There may be many wonderful men in this city," he continued softly, "But there is only one _woman_ for me, Madam."

She smiled back and caught Grell's eye, crimson orbs boring into green until she felt as though he could see straight through her, straight through all her secrets. But it didn't matter, he knew them already after all, _was_ one of them. After a long moment, her smile faded and her eyes were drawn back to the flames.

"I'm glad Ciel suspects nothing," she said quietly, aware of his eyes watching her intently. "Though I'm not entirely satisfied that Sebastian isn't suspicious. He's far too attentive. I wonder...what would Ciel think of me if he knew?"

"What do the opinions of a child matter?"

"I think he'd be horrified," she continued, ignoring his words. "His last remaining close family member, staining their hands with blood. Becoming one of the monsters he is charged with finding and eliminating. Lying to his face. And if he knew _why_...I doubt he would understand." Bitterness began to lace her words as she spoke, now glaring hatefully at the fire. She could see images there after all. Faces. Women. The faces that haunted her. "No, he wouldn't understand at all. My little nephew...he feels nothing anymore, does he? I wonder, Grell, would he kill us if he knew? After all, to him I would appear wicked, vile, _monstrous-_"

"Enough."

Grell climbed easily over the back of the sofa and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, which she hadn't realised were shaking. He stroked her cheek with his free hand and shook his head slowly.

"Don't think of him. If it's going to make you cry, don't think of him at all. His opinions would mean nothing. And besides, being monstrous isn't such a bad thing. True, your actions may make you appear monstrous to those who will never understand you, but to me...you're beautiful. Beautiful _and _monstrous. And it's a good thing. I have no time for the kind of beauty this city places so much importance on, the coy, delicate, trembling beauty. You possess the rarer and more powerful beauty, Madam. The kind that both captivates and terrifies. The kind few humans are capable of. Aren't you happy this way?"

The last tears fell from her eyes as he spoke and they glistened in the firelight. "I had not realised you capable of such eloquence," she murmured, both moved and a little confused by his words."

"You always underestimate me," he said quietly, a light blush colouring his cheeks. She smiled widely then, glad to see he was still as childish as ever, despite anything he could say.

"I apologise," she smiled, raising a hand to the one he had pressed against her cheek. "I should sleep, so I won't say such silly things anymore, don't you think? It's been a long day."

He nodded. "Yes, I think that'd be a good idea." He paused for a moment, watching her. The warm light from the fire spilled over her, casting her usually bright clothes in the colour of blood. It was true, she looked formidable...but beautiful too. "Red really is your colour," he said absently.

A sad smile graced her lips. "Someone told me that once before."

"But that person didn't understand the colour as I do, Madam," he said quickly. "You'd do better to forget anyone else said it."

She laughed and stood abruptly, turning towards the door. "The arrogance," she laughed, running a hand lightly over his arm as she passed to show she was not angry. As she reached the door, she stopped and called over her shoulder.

"Wake me early tomorrow, Grell. We have a lot to do."

She grinned to herself as a tentative voice that now sounded totally alien answered from in front of the fire.

"And would Madam like breakfast for when she wakes?"

She turned to see her inept butler sitting nervously on the edge of the seat and smiled. "You really are a master of disguise, Grell," she said.

"I'm the perfect actress," he replied smugly, though retaining his coy posture.

"I wonder," Madam Red mused, turning back to the door. "What else could you be?"

There was a flurry of movement and soft rustling and in a moment a crimson-haired god of death was pressed up against her, breathing softly into her hair. She closed her eyes and smiled, realising now that it didn't matter if she was monstrous, it didn't matter if she was a murderess. She was beautiful to someone again, and the opinions of others were worthless.

"I'd be anything," Grell whispered against her neck, smiling. "I'd be anything for you."

-x-

_**A/N **__If Grell came across as OOC that was because I figure he would act differently behind closed doors. I adore silly Grell but rather like his serious side too (even if it only exists in fanfiction). Please review, criticism is welcomed as are anonymous reviews (though praise is more than welcome too XD) Thanks for reading. _


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